What She Left Behind
by happyfunball
Summary: Aerrow has known for a while how he feels about Piper, but when she is kidnapped by Cyclonians, he is finally forced to really face the facts. Will she feel the same way?
1. Prologue: Storm Warning

**Prologue**

"Piper wouldn't really leave us…would she?"

Aerrow watched as Piper flew away on her heliscooter. He was in complete disbelief, unable to come to terms with the fact that she would leave the squadron behind, that she would leave _him_ behind. He wouldn't be able to learn how to live as a Storm Hawk without her. She had been with him since the beginning, and they weren't just friends anymore in his eyes. That much was clear. The toll her absence took on his heart made that painfully clear.

* * *

"Congratulations, guys, I think we did it." Aerrow looked back from the window, after trying to spot Piper after their "delicious" meal.

His smile was forced through his guilt, though, and Junko voiced his doubts by asking, "You don't think this was too mean, do you?" Aerrow's eyebrows pushed together in concern at this, hoping they weren't hurting Piper. He just wanted her to come back to the _Condor_.

"Are you kidding?" Finn burst through Aerrow's thoughts. "This plan was flawless. Piper would be proud." Aerrow was still unsure, but maybe Finn was right for once.

* * *

"What happened to all the f-furnace crystals?" Junko asked through chattering teeth. "It's f-freezing in here." Aerrow resisted a shiver as the cold of the bridge swept through to him, trying to focus on the crystal in his hand.

"I'm working on it, Junko," he said patiently. "This is harder than it looks." He hit the crystal with the spark machine in his other hand. It glowed hopefully for a second, then died in a puff of red smoke. Aerrow sighed. God, he would never take Piper for granted again. She was so smart to do all this stuff on her own, and without any training or anything. Even he had had training.

"You, know, she could've stocked us up before abandoning ship," Finn muttered, rubbing his arms to try to eliminate the cold. _Don't say "abandoning ship,"_ Aerrow thought irritably. _She _didn't_ abandon us...I hope…_

"Well, at least we have plenty of Piper's sandcakes left," Stork commented with an attempt at a smile, heading over to the cookie jar. Aerrow smiled. _That's true…way to be optimistic Stork._ "A day without those ," Stork continued, "is like a day without.." He paused dramatically, holding the lid to his chest. "Bat repellant." He stuck his arm in the cookie jar, fishing about for a cookie…anything! He let loose a shriek when he discovered the jar was empty. Looking around desperately for the culprit, Stork let loose a growl as he saw a bloated and contentedly full Radarr hiccup on the ground.

"I miss Piper," Junko sighed morosely. "Can't we just go get her?" Aerrow smiled gently at the Wallop, thinking about how he had taken the words right out of his mouth.

"Guys!" Finn exclaimed, drawing Aerrow and Junko's attention over to him. "Snap out of it, okay? This is exactly what she wants you to think! It's a mind game, and we're gonna win." Aerrow half-grimaced, hoping Finn was right and it was just a game. He didn't want Piper to get hurt.

* * *

Later that night, Aerrow was awakened by the soft sound a motor purring beyond the walls of his room. The alarm wasn't going, off, so he didn't panic, just getting up blearily and wandering to the bridge. Putting his hands on the window, he stared out through the glass in curiosity. He saw a familiar Heliscooter resting on the landing strip and a shadowy figure enter the hangar bay.

"Piper," he breathed, his eyes widening. Was she coming back? He was ready to beg for forgiveness if it meant she would come back. Aerrow whipped around and sprinted to the hatch that led to the hangar bay. His feet slammed on the ground and he looked around frantically, but he was too late. Piper was gone, and when he looked out the open doorway to the landing strip, her Heliscooter wasn't much more than a dot off the _Condor_. "Piper!" he shouted, his eyes following her Heliscooter as it disappeared into the trees of the nearby terra. He couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away, only able to keep staring. She was so close and yet so far. She had come back, then she left again. Why? What was going on?

"Why are you up?" asked a groggy voice from behind him. It was Finn, with Junko at his side. "I heard you shout." Aerrow let his eyelids fall so his eyes were only half open as he looked at the ground. Finn put a hand on his back. "Don't worry. She'll be back," he told Aerrow. "She's just…blowing off some steam."

"Yeah. Sure." They turned to go, then Aerrow noticed a pair of objects lying on the ground. Finn stepped forward, then lowered onto his knees, inspecting what the objects were.

"Stork's X-Ray peepers," Junko gasped. Beside him, Aerrow stepped forward and crouched down next to Finn, taking the book into his hands.

"And Piper's log," he breathed.

"She wouldn't go anywhere without this," Finn commented, his eyebrows pushing together. Aerrow opened the book and flipped to the last entry.

"Unless she wasn't planning on coming back," he murmured, feeling like his stomach was falling away. He held the book open and put it in front of Finn's face.

_Hard to believe all this time I was just holding the Storm Hawks back. This will be my final entry._

_Piper out._

Finn chuckled. Aerrow looked up at him sharply. How could he be laughing now? Piper was definitely gone, now. She was gone, and it wasn't just a game.

"Aw, you should see your face!" he exclaimed. "This is all part of her plot! Obviously! You know how deep Piper likes to go on her plans! This has got to be more of her mind games. Don't fall for it, Aerrow, we'll make it yet." Aerrow thought for a second, then released a small chuckle and a half-smile. He hoped that it would fool Finn, although he could still feel his eyebrows pushed together.

* * *

"I'm going out on patrol." Aerrow hoped the white lie would fool Finn as he strode quickly towards the door. He was sick of these "games," this refusal to search for a member of their own team.

"You mean you're going to look for Piper," Finn corrected him, sounding bored. A shock suddenly shook the ship, causing Finn to fall out of his chair and pulling Aerrow's mind off of Piper.

"It's a power drain!" Stork shouted. "We're going down!" Another shudder rocked the ship as the first two anchors on the ship gave way. As Aerrow struggled to regain his balance, the ship's alarm began blaring suddenly.

"Now what?" Finn cried, from the floor. Stork grabbed his periscope, yanking it down to eye level.

"Proximity alert," he replied. "Something's coming!" A wave of relief washed over Aerrow. Was Finn right after all? Was Piper returning just when they needed her?

"Piper?" he asked excitedly, hoping beyond hope that Stork would turn back and nod with a smile. A part of him told him that it was too good to be true.

What he wasn't expecting, though, was for Stork to turn to him and shake his head, saying, "No, she wouldn't trigger it." As if on a whim, he quickly turned back, burying his face back in the periscope. "Wait, I got something." Aerrow leaned forward excitedly. Maybe Stork was wrong. Maybe Finn was right. Maybe his hope would come true. Oh, and Junko wasn't allergic to Murk Raiders. Yeah, right. Turning back to the rest of the squadron with wide eyes, Stork whispered, "Cyclonians."

* * *

He was caught, trapped on both sides. Ravess in front, Cyclonians on either side that prevented him from moving. Ravess fired a single shot, her aim dead on, the arrow flying towards his head.

Aerrow's eyes widened in terror. This couldn't be the end. Not yet.

His Skimmer suddenly shifted to the side, and smoke rose from the collision of Ravess's arrow with the Switchblade next to him. Was it Finn or Junko that had saved him? He would owe them a foot rub or something when this was over. Aerrow glanced to the side as Radarr attended to the Talon next to them. His emerald eyes met familiar hazel ones, and he felt a sudden surge of happiness in his chest. Piper was back, and that alone gave him the strength to fight like never before.

* * *

"Piper!" The relief that Aerrow felt at being able to see Piper again exploded from his lips unexpectedly. He quickly tried to cover for himself, looking at his dashboard awkwardly after his outburst as he flew beside her. "I mean…hey," he said quietly, trying not to betray how furiously his heart was pounding. Piper seemed to want to stay along the lines of fake distance, too.

"I – I just came back for some stuff," she told him, and his heart sank. It couldn't be true, could it? She was just playing right? She wouldn't just save his life then leave all over again…would she?

* * *

Ravess flew away on the back of a Switchblade. Aerrow smiled cockily as she turned around and screamed, "Next time, Storm Hawks, you won't be so lucky!"

"Luck has nothing to do with it, Ravess!" he shouted after her. A Heliscooter flew down to block his view of the fleeing Ravess. Piper smiled at him skeptically, raising an eyebrow. Aerrow realized in an instant how lucky he was to have her, how lucky he was that she had saved his life, and how lucky he was that she was always there for him, even if she wasn't on the squadron anymore.

"Okay, maybe a little," he added sheepishly.

* * *

"Well…" Piper said awkwardly as they stood in the bridge. Aerrow scratched the back of his head, trying to hide the absolute joy that wanted to burst from every part of his person. He looked to the side, attempting to distract himself from how pretty Piper looked, and how much he wanted her to stay by his side.

"You know, Piper," he began, forcing his mouth to spit out her name only once, "you could always stick around." His mind scrambled as he tried to think of some other reason besides 'I think I might be in love with you and I want you to stay by my side always.' He added quickly, "I mean, someone has to make sure Finn doesn't break your Berry Blitz record."

"You'd never hear the end of it if he did," Piper replied, rubbing her arm. Aerrow nodded, deciding to build on this.

"It'd be like doing us a favor," he told her, hoping she wouldn't notice his genuine affection prompting the words. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, doing his best not to all-out beam.

"Okay, I'll stay." She threw her arms out dismissively, and Aerrow looked at them, wanting to grab them and pull her into a hug and just twirl her around. Before he could, Junko snuck up behind them.

"I love you guys!" he cried happily, scooping them up in his arms and squeezing them to his chest. _I love her, too_, Aerrow thought, not even bothering to reprimand himself this time.

* * *

**Look familiar? Yeah...it should...it's from episode 13: "Storm Warning"...hence the title. Yes, the part where they found Piper's log was created by myself, so don't search for that haha. **

**Well, I don't own any part of Storm Hawks or anything like that, so yup. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 1: An Intruder and an Invitation

**Chapter 1**

Piper sat calmly with a book in her lap on the landing strip of the _Condor_, sunbathing and taking notes. Around her, the boys flew Aerrow's Skimmer, taking turns actually flying the Skimmer and riding the surfboard that trailed behind it. At one point, Aerrow dropped onto the ship beside Piper, allowing Junko to fly the Skimmer and Finn to ride behind.

"Hey, Piper," he said with a smile, trying to keep his eyes off her dark-skinned stomach. That bikini looked amazing on her…but nevermind that now.

"I already told you, Aerrow, I don't have the balance for riding Finn's surfboard," she said, not looking up.

"I – I know," he replied, "and I'm not asking about that." He paused, taking a breath. "I need a favor." Piper looked up at him over her sunglasses, raising her eyebrows.

"Sure. What is it?" Aerrow grinned confidently at her response.

"Um…can you fly my Skimmer for me? We all wanna try something." Aerrow smiled, hoping it wouldn't be too much to ask. Piper groaned loudly, turning back to her book.

"No, Aerrow!" she sighed exasperatedly. "I'm trying to work on something."

"Pleeeeease?" he begged, clasping his hands together. She looked up at him, and he noticed her eyebrows push together. Time to drive her over the edge. He pouted, sticking his lower lip out in the best puppy-dog face he could make. Piper opened her mouth, and he felt an upwelling of hope. Did he do it? Piper's eyes suddenly narrowed and her lips pursed as Aerrow heard a rumbling, a crash, and a screech behind him. He turned to see Junko waving to him from the Skimmer and Finn lying prostrate about ten feet from the surfboard. Aerrow turned back to Piper and gave a hesitant chuckle with a "what can you do" smile and a shrug.

"No," she told him firmly, turning back to her book.

"Let it be, dude," Finn groaned, stumbling over to Aerrow and Piper. "She's just always a killjoy." Aerrow raised his eyebrows and turned to face Finn.

"I'm working on something, Finn," she said irritably, "and it's something that we can probably use against Cyclonians." She looked over her sunglasses at him skeptically. "You do want to defeat them, don't you?"

Before Finn could reply, Aerrow cut in. "Of course we do, but Piper, don't you want to cut loose and have some fun once in a while?" Once again, Piper opened her mouth to respond, but Finn interrupted her.

"Don't bother, man. She doesn't know the meaning of the word, 'fun.'" Finn nearly spat out the last word. Aerrow was getting irritated with Finn's negativity, but he bit his tongue. Piper sighed, closed her book, and stood to face Finn.

"Look," she said pointedly. "Even an individual with a subnormal acquirement for comprehending elementary matters would agnize the fact that I have the most responsibility on this vessel, and so that leaves me with little time to take pleasure in mirthful activities, as you so do of your own volition. It's true I would revel in such risible behavior as the kind you exhibit, but I have more adult activities to partake in, and I have no time for your sappy pastimes." When she was done, Aerrow and Finn were left speechless. Both their eyes were wide, and Finn's jaw was hanging open.

"What did you just say?" Aerrow asked, completely bewildered.

"Read a book sometime, and figure it out," Piper replied, picking up a book from the stack next to her and shoving into Finn's chest. As he struggled to put his hands up to catch it before Piper fully released it, she pushed it away and turned and walked inside the ship.

Aerrow looked after her in confusion as Junko called from the Skimmer, "So, I take it we can't try the trick right now?"

Inside the _Condor_, Piper sighed as she sat down at the desk in her room, then she heard the door slide open beside her.

"No, Aerrow," she said, not looking up. "I'm _not_ flying your Skimmer and no, I don't want to talk about it right -" She finally turned and saw who was standing in her doorway. Beneath a hood as black as the starless night, purple eyes gleamed with a malice not seen anywhere else. Piper gasped. "Nightcrawler," she breathed, throwing out her hand and snatching a nearby glowing yellow crystal. She raised it above her head and proceeded to slam it down on the ground, breaking it to pieces by the Nightcrawler's feet. It flinched, throwing up its arms to shield itself from the blinding the light that shot out from the shards of the crystal. Piper grabbed her staff and blasted the Nightcrawler into the wall across the hallway. She leapt forward, pinning the Nightcrawler against the wall.

"Why are you here?" she hissed. In reply, it grinned its demonic violet smile.

"My work here is done," it growled, then ducked down and slid down the nearby pipe, flying out of the _Condor_ and away into the clouds.

"What's going on?" Aerrow asked, running up from behind her. Piper was frowning at the nearby pipe in confusion. "Piper, we heard a commotion. What happened?"

"A – A Nightcrawler," she panted. "It just showed up in my room and left!" Aerrow poked his head in her room and took a brief look around.

"Nothing seems changed," he commented, turning back to Piper.

"How would you know?" she asked, suspicious. "It's my room!" Aerrow flushed a deep red.

"Um, tha – that's not what I meant," he stammered quickly. "It's just – the last – I mean – from the -"

"Either way," Stork interrupted suddenly, approaching them from behind, "the rest of the _Condor_ should be checked out." He paused, and Aerrow let out a sigh of relief. Stork had saved him by interrupting there… "Just in case," Stork finished, with a finger momentarily pointed.

Aerrow nodded. "That's a good idea, Stork. I'll go get the guys." He left Piper's side and headed down the hatch to the hangar bay and out to the landing strip, where Junko and Finn were relaxing by and in Piper's vacated seat respectively.

"What's up, man?" Finn asked, sliding his sunglasses down his nose and peering over them.

"Piper just had a Nightcrawler in her -" Aerrow stopped, noticing something past Finn. "What's that?" Finn glanced over his shoulder.

"It's a bird, dude," he replied quickly. "Did you say Nightcrawler?" Aerrow nodded slowly, still focused on the bird.

"It's gone now," he told Finn, spacing out. "Stork says we should check for – man, how often do we ever see birds?"

"Well, it kinda depends on what terra we're over," Junko said, and Finn narrowed his eyes at him.

"Don't let him change the subject!" Finn exclaimed, his eyebrows pushing together in worry. "There was a Nightcrawler on board! This can't be good news!"

"Relax, Finn, it didn't really do anything," Aerrow said, but he was still watching the bird. "And Junko…we're not over any terras."

"Oh," Junko remarked, putting a finger to his chin in thought. "Well, then, we probably wouldn't see any birds unless it carried a -"

"Message." Aerrow finished Junko's statement as the bird in question landed on his outstretched arm. It had a small white roll of paper fastened to its leg, which he detached with his free hand.

"Ooh, a dove!" Junko exclaimed excitedly as it flew away, its message having met its intended recipient.

"Well, what's it say?" Finn asked, as Aerrow's eyes flicked back and forth as he read the message. His face turned to a slight grimace as he finished it.

"It's a dinner invite with those snobs on Terra Rex," he replied, rolling the piece of paper back up.

"Well, they're not that bad anymore," Junko commented placidly, with a small smile.

"Yeah, but this is like a big, fancy, ball thing," Aerrow sighed.

"In other words, not our style." Finn grimaced.

"Not our style at all," Aerrow agreed.

* * *

**Don't worry, the plot will thicken even more in the next chapter! Also, I understand that there was some confusion as to the inclusion of the parts of Storm Warning...well, I just included them for the sake of showing when Aerrow discovered he was in love with Piper.**

**BUT WILL SHE LOVE HIM BACK?**

**more to come :) please review!**


	3. Chapter 2: A Lesson and a Laugh

**Chapter 2**

"An invitation for a ball on Terra Rex?" Piper asked excitedly, a smile breaking across her face. Aerrow found a grin tugging at his mouth, with hers being so happy.

"Yeah, but Piper -"

"This is great!" she shrieked happily, twirling around her room in her excitement. "Do you know how often Terra Rex holds gala balls like this and how few people are invited? This is such a huge honor!" With an eyebrow raised, Aerrow glanced at the nearby Finn, who merely shrugged in confusion.

"I know as much as you do, dude," he said quietly. Piper stuck her head out the door and called to the bridge.

"Stork!" she shouted. "Set a course for Terra Atmosia!" Aerrow's brow furrowed.

"Atmosia?" he asked skeptically. "Piper, from there, it'll take days to get to Terra Rex!"

"I know," she told him, turning back. "But we can't wear _this_," she indicated her and Aerrow's makeshift outfits, "to a gala ball! Besides, there's a month left before we actually have to go to Terra Rex."

"Why can't we wear this?" Finn questioned cluelessly. Piper slapped her forehead.

"Finn, do the words 'gala ball' mean _anything_ to you?" she asked from beneath her hand, and he merely shrugged. "Ugh! Why do I even try?" she shrieked, dropping her hand to her side. "You _have_ to be fancy. Didn't you hear how irritated the Rex Guardians were last time we showed up to a dinner like this?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we have to change," Finn replied. Piper rolled her eyes, unsure if she was closer to exploding or strangling Finn. Aerrow sensed this and put his hands on her shoulders.

"So why are we going to Atmosia?" he asked, trying to come between the two. His hands on her shoulders seemed to have a calming effect on Piper, and she sighed again.

"To see if we can get Giovanni to make suits for you guys and a dress for me," she told Aerrow simply.

"But that will cost soooooo much!" Finn whined.

"We'll see," Piper said mischievously. "We're the Storm Hawks, after all." She left for the bridge, and Finn turned to Aerrow with an eyebrow raised.

"I can't decipher that for you," Aerrow said quickly, holding up his hands. He looked after Piper, curious as to what her excitement was about.

* * *

"What do you mean you won't make the clothes for us?" Piper asked indignantly. "It's just five suits and a dress! Besides, this Oracle Crystal is the only one in existence!" She held out the crystal in question, and Aerrow winced, knowing better than to deny Piper like Giovanni was when she was bartering rare crystals, even though the two of them were pretty sure that that crystal was just a dud.

"I don't think you understand," Giovanni replied quickly, holding out his hands to try to calm her. He glanced at the crystal within Piper's hands, then pushed it away, as if attempting to refuse tempation. "I'm not saying I'm denying your request; I'm just saying I'm denying payment."

"Oh." Piper blushed, chuckling sheepishly. "Well, thank you."

"It's the least I could do," he told her, "considering how many times the Storm Hawks have saved the Atmos from the wrath of Cyclonis." Aerrow smiled gratefully, laying his hands on Piper's shoulders.

"It's our duty and our honor," he said. "Thank you so much."

"They'll be ready in...five days," Giovanni predicted, putting a finger to his chin. Piper squealed in excitement, taking Aerrow's hands in hers. Hoping she wouldn't notice his pulse quicken as she smiled up at him in happiness, he smiled hesitantly. Maybe this ball wouldn't be so bad after all.

Finn, Aerrow, and Piper left Giovanni's with many thanks to him.

"We got off so lucky," Piper commented as they walked back to the Condor.

"Yeah...insanely so," Aerrow agreed. "We'll have clothes to rival the Guardians', and we won't be scorned again!"

"So long as we fix one other thing," Piper said thoughtfully. Finn rolled his eyes.

"Surprise, surprise," he commented irritably. Aerrow sighed in moderate despair.

"Well? What else do we need to fix?" he asked.

* * *

"Table manners," Piper told the rest of the Storm Hawks. "Last time wsa a complete and total disaster!"

"It wasn't _that_ bad," Junko said with a faint smile. "It was really yummy." Piper put her head in her hand.

"That's not what I meant," she muttered, rather irritably. "The only with moderately good table manners, besides me, of course," Finn rolled his eyes, "was Aerrow!" Aerrow drew himself up and smiled appreciatively, happy to have gained Piper's approval. "Finn, you _drank_ your soup! Junko, that lemony water was to dip your fingers in _only_! Not slurp them off afterwards! And don't forget that poor squire! Stork, you never refuse your host's food! It's just not polite!"

"You won't care about care about politeness when you're infected with mountainous brain disease, which that soup reeked of," Stork mumbled under his breath, out of earshot of Piper.

"And Aerrow," Piper continued, "when Radarr acts like a wild creature to chicken on the table, you take responsibility for him! You don't just ask what you can do!" Radarr frowned and chirruped in disapproval, but Aerrow put a hand on his head to quiet him.

"Well, what do we have to do, Piper?" Aerrow asked, and Finn groaned.

"You don't ask that!" Finn exclaimed, and Piper rolled her eyes.

"I'm about to show you," Piper said in response to Aerrow's question. She smiled confidently, and all the boys winced.

* * *

"Oh, I give up!" Piper shrieked about twenty minutes later, storming off the bridge and into her room. The door slid shut behind her as she tried to dislodge the bits of gravy caught in her hair from the boys' food fight.

"Piper, Piper, Piper," Aerrow called, dashing after her. "Piper, come back!"

"Aerrow, I have gravy and meat sauce lodged in my hair!" Piper screamed, partially turning around to look at him. "I spent hours in the kitchen for what? For a childish food fight when I was trying to teach you table manners and save a small piece of the Storm Hawks' reputation!"

"Well, don't worry about that," Aerrow told her, finally catching up. "We can maintain our reputation plenty well on our own."

"Yeah, our reputation of being know-nothing chidren!" Piper cried, resuming her pace and entering her room. She collapsed on her bed, and Aerrow followed her in and sat beside her.

"Don't worry about it, Piper," he advised her, and she sat up and sighed. She glanced up at him and smiled half-heartedly, then began to giggle as she focused on something on his face. "What?" he asked, her giggles causing him to smile. He blushed as she put out a finger and wiped it up his face. She licked the finger off and and waved it in Aerrow's face.

"Mashed potatoes," she informed him, the laughter not leaving her eyes. Aerrow's eyes moved down Piper's frame, just taking in her food-covered outfit in humor. On his way back up to her eyes, Aerrow's gaze halted on Piper's necklace.

"Piper," he said slowly, "you're my best friend, and I know everything about you -"

"So?" Piper interrupted, bemused.

"- except for that crystal you wear every day," Aerrow finished, putting a finger on the crystal in question. Piper drew back instinctively, wrapping her fingers around it.

"This crystal made me interested in studying crystals in general," she answered vaguely. Aerrow's brow furrowed, as he detected more beneath the surface.

"If it's your favorite crystal, I'd like to know more about it," he told her, trying to understand.

The crystal hidden in Piper's room shimmered as Piper replied, "Um, n - not now, Aerrow." She smiled gently, releasing hold of her necklace.

In the palm of Master Cyclonis's hand, the hologram of Aerrow stammered, "O - Okay..." Cyclonis's eyes narrowed and she smiled as she became confident of her imminent success. She turned to a nearby guard.

"Get me the Dark Ace," she ordered, her airy voice not matching the evil in her eyes. "We've found the Sky Knight's weakness," she added in a quiet hiss.

* * *

**Alright! Chapter 2 is done! More chapters are written but not typed, so I will be working on that, don't you worry!**

**1. So I try to keep the characters in, well, character, and also I'm kind of trying to set it up as if it was an actual Storm Hawks episode. I hope I'm doing a good job! :D**

**2. It was really tough to really convey the anger in Piper's voice when she had the food decorating her outfit, but I think I did it...? haha.**

**3. Cyclonis sent the Nightcrawler not to just put a crystal in Piper's room, but in several locations along the ship. She wanted to find Aerrow's weakness, and the crystal in Piper's room was placed on a hunch.**

**4. I realized that Piper's crystal is never really discussed at all in the series, so why not do whatever I wanted with that? **

**5. Plot will really pick up next chapter :) thanks for reading!**

**6. Please review!  
**


	4. Chapter 3: Clothes and a Capture

**Chapter 3**

"Wow!" Piper exclaimed joyously as Aerrow showed her how his suit fit. Her heart pounded distractingly as she tried to figure out words for the image. "You look so -"

"Much like an uptight snob?" Finn asked, check out his own suit. "Chyeah!"

"Finn!" Piper scolded him angrily, noticing Giovanni standing by her side. "I was going to say sophisticated!" Aerrow looked down at his own outfit, all black except for the white undershirt and red tie. Finn's blue tie, in contrast, matched his own eyes, and the black of his suit made his usual unkempt appearance seem neat and tidy.

"I like it," Junko commented, pulling his green tie tight. He smiled cheerily at Stork, who was poking his black tie in hesitation.

"What about you, Piper?" Aerrow asked. "Where's your dress?"

"Oh...I...haven't tried it on yet," Piper told him with a slight blush. "You guys change back, and I'll put it on." Giovanni handed her something that seemed too pink and frilly for Aerrow's taste, but she accepted it with a grateful smile and a nod. She headed for the dressing room, but paused when she noticed the guys weren't moving. "You guys can go on in," she told them, like a mother telling a nervous child to go to school. They glanced at each other, then entered their dressing rooms. After changing back into their usual patchwork uniforms, they waited outside Piper's dressing room. After a couple of minutes of waiting, Junko turned to the rest of the group with his brow furrowed.

"Aerrow, she's taking a real long time," he commented, sounding almost morose.

"Relax, dude," Finn said, sounding bored. "Girls take forever to do anything."

"But she seems like she's taking a _really_ long time," Junko added. "You don't think that she's in trouble, do you?"

"Junko, it's a clothing store," Finn interjected. "What kind of trouble could she possibly get into?"

"And we're the Storm Hawks," Aerrow mused. "Trouble follows us." He knocked on the door. "Piper? Everything okay?"

"I'm telling ya," Finn insisted. "Girl time."

"Piper isn't usually the slow one at anything," Aerrow argued. "Especially not racing...she beats you every time." Junko laughed as Finn crossed his arms and looked to the side in irritation. "I'm just kidding, Finn," Aerrow assured him, then he paused and looked back at the door of the dressing room. "But it's true...remember the last time we had to go shopping? She was super quick."

"Also, she would have objected to us talking about her by now," Stork added quietly, holding up a finger.

"You're right," Aerrow said thoughtfully, and he knocked on the door again. "Piper? You okay?" He expected a scolding, or at least something in return. Nothing came back, and Aerrow's eyebrows pushed together in concern. "Piper?" he repeated, knocking again. "Piper!" He twisted the doorknob, then, finding it locked, pushed his shoulder against it roughly. The hinges had been blasted off, as Aerrow noticed upon later inspection, so the door fell off in his hand. He looked around the dressing room, noticing the absence of his best friend. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted, "Piper!"

"Look at the ceiling!" Junko exclaimed, pointing up. A ceiling tile was missing with scorch marks visible around the whole. Aerrow turned to Radarr.

"Can you get up there, buddy?" he asked, and Radarr chirped affirmatively, running down Aerrow's arm and leaping off with a burst from Aerrow, flying into the ceiling.

As Radarr scurried around in the ceiling, Finn turned to Aerrow and asked quietly, "How did we not hear this?"

"If it was Cyclonis's bidding, we wouldn't," Aerrow replied, trying to keep a stolid exterior as his mind raced. Piper was gone, snatched from beneath his nose! He noticed burnt remnants of the pink and frilly dress to the side, and picked it up, guessing that Piper hadn't had time to even try it on. It must have been a Nightcrawler...Talons weren't that stealthy. A sound from above interrupted Aerrow's thoughts. Radarr was climbing back through the hole in the ceiling tiles. Something was dangling form his paw...

"Whatcha got there, Radarr?" Aerrow asked anxiously, catching him on his arm. With a small chirp of sadness, Radarr dropped the object into Aerrow's palm. The string on the object hooked around his finger, and he turned his palm down, letting it hang. Junko gasped.

"No way," Finn breathed, and his eyebrows pushed together. Aerrow pulled it back up into his palm, his brow furrowing as he looked down at it in determination.

"Hawks, we're going to get our other member back," he said, closing his fingers around Piper's necklace.

* * *

**Yeah, it's a short chapter... :( but a lot happened!**

**So Piper has been kidnapped, and the necklace is basically "what she left behind". More info on that later, I promise!**

**Please review!  
**


	5. Chapter 4: Distress and a Damsel

**Chapter 4**

"Aerrow, where are we going and why?" Finn asked, as Aerrow charged through the halls of the _Condor_, where he was also flanked by Junko and Stork. Radarr rested on Aerrow's shoulder, clearly as tense as the rest of the squadron.

"We're going to Cyclonia to get Piper back," he told Finn firmly, and Finn blinked in surprise.

"Oh...kay..." he said slowly. "Nice to know you were going to inform us about this...that we're going into one of the most dangerous areas in the Atmos, and you were _totally_ going to tell us beforehand."

"This isn't going to end well," Stork muttered dismally. Aerrow stopped in his tracks, sighing heavily.

"Stork, you tell me that every time," he replied, without turning around. He then glanced over his shoulder at the Merb. "And every time, I don't listen."

"I'm just saying," Stork grumbled, striding past Aerrow as he quickly walked towards his room.

"Junko, keep on watch for any enemies," he instructed, not looking back. Behind him, Junko saluted, and followed Stork to the bridge. "Piper, you can -" Behind Aerrow, Finn stopped short as Aerrow cut himself off. He gritted his teeth and continued down the hall to his room.

"Dude, calm down," Finn said, holding out his hands. "We'll get her back."

"It's my fault, Finn!" Aerrow exclaimed, whipping around, close to completely snapping. Finn flinched, caught by surprise at Aerrow's fury. "I should have heard it. Piper would have put up a fight! She would have made some noise, something, anything!" He stopped himself before he voice cracked, and sighed again. "I didn't hear it, and it's my fault she's gone," Aerrow added softly, then continued into his room.

As he hung up his energy blades and took off his armor, Finn leaned against the doorway. "It's nobody's fault, man. Nobody heard it. Don't beat yourself up when you don't have to." He noticed Aerrow having difficulty seeing through his distress to take his armor off, his hands continually slipping and fumbling with the plates.

"But I should," Aerrow mumbled, sitting back on his bed.

"No, Aerrow," Finn said, walking forward and laying a hand on his shoulder. "Look, it's Piper, and I know that's got you freak out. I know." Aerrow looked up at Finn, his eyebrows pushing together. Finn could clearly see Aerrow asking, 'How?' beyond the sadness in the emerald depths of his eyes. Finn sat down next to Aerrow and told him, "I'm your wing man, dude. I've seen that look in your eyes when she's in the room." Aerrow smiled gently and looked back at the floor.

"Thanks, Finn," he muttered.

"So we gonna get her back or are you going to keep moping about and blaming yourself?" Finn asked, standing up. He helped Aerrow to his feet and Aerrow grinned.

"Let's do this," he replied, his eyes brightening with the prospect for a new adventure. He left Finn in the room, with a smile on Finn's face.

"We've got our boy back," he commented in satsifaction, then followed Aerrow to the bridge.

"So how are we going to do this," Aerrow asked, drawing Junko and Stork's attention onto himself, "big and loud or silent and stealthy?"

"Silent is always safer," Stork added hopefully, then added something about certain death, defeat, or failure either way.

"But silent's so boring!" Finn whined. "I vote big and loud!"

"I like loud," Junko added, smiling.

"So our plan is to have no plan?" Aerrow questioned, the usual lopsided, cocky grin sending light to his eyes. The guys cheered back affirmatively, and Aerrow nodded, then turned and quickly strode to the windows of the _Condor. _As Stork pushed the ship forward, pushing her speed limits, Aerrow gazed out at the sea of clouds around them. He put a hand on the glass gently.

"We'll get you back, Piper," he murmured. He clenched his fingers into a fist and lightly pounded the window. "I promise."

* * *

Piper blearily opened her eyes, finding herself in some sort of crystal cage. She sat up on her knees, looking around. Surrounding her prison was nothing but a dark, dreary environment, which seemed almost like a cave. To the side was some sort of machine that had arms constantly moving and picking up crystals, combing them in a crate in the middle. Standing in front of the machine was...

"Cyclonis," Piper growled, her eyes narrowing. The hooded figure turned around, an evil smile crossing her face.

"Piper, it's nice to know you've finally woken up," Master Cyclonis commented, putting out her hand. Although the hood shaded her face, it couldn't hide the sinister look in her eyes. "I was almost hoping you wouldn't...it would make things so much easier for me." Her hood opened, revealing her black hair and sadistic grin.

Piper fought against the energy band holding her hands together. "What do you want, Cyclonis?" The Master sneered as she floated toward Piper.

"Just to do what you have been..._best friend_," she replied quietly, but with the usual danger. Piper flinched flinched visibly at the use of the term, in this case, a bitter curse spat from the mouth of her enemy. "Sit around and be the damsel in distress for your dashing Sky Knight," Cyclonis continued, "and be his weakness."

"Aerrow doesn't have a weakness," Piper argued. Cyclonis landed in front of her, the sneer never leaving her face.

"Oh, but you are wrong," she told Piper gloatingly. "My dutiful Nightcrawler placed crystals for surveillance on your so-called ship, and I discovered his sole weakness...you." She leaned forward, the light from the crystal cage glinting off her violet eyes. Piper's eyes widened, and she looked down at the floor, her mind flying. Had Cyclonis seen something in Aerrow that she, his best friend, had missed?

Unable to think of anything else, Piper mumbled, "You're wrong."

"Am I, Piper?" Cyclonis asked cynically. "Or is it that you want to defend him because he's _your_ weakness, too?" Laughing evilly, Cyclonis drifted back to her machine, her hood forming over her head again. Piper was left alone, caught up in thought. She hadn't really considered it at all. What were the other Storm Hawks to her? Stork was just a paranoid friend, and Junko was a protective older brother. That much was certain. There had always been some tension between her and Finn, probably because all his idiocy always made her laugh. She never thought that she _really_ ever liked him though, because...because...

She was in love with Aerrow.

* * *

**Ba-boom! The evil plot revealed.**

**Expounding a bit with the best friend/brother relationship that Finn and Aerrow have...I've always loved that, and I think Finn would come through for him just like that in a situation like this. Also mentioned a bit of FinnxPiper, because it is kinda hinted at once in a while. It's not as beautiful and perfect as AerrowxPiper, though, of course, but I find it something interesting to study.**

**Please review! :3**


	6. Chapter 5: Comfort in a Cage

**Chapter 5**

Aerrow tied Piper's necklace around his neck, hiding it beneath his collar. Although he burned with curiosity to see what it was, he knew to respect Piper's wishes and not investigate on his own.

"You're seriously wearing a necklace?" Finn questioned with a small smile. Aerrow rolled his eyes.

"It's Piper's and this is the best way to keep it safe," he explained, tucking his energy blades in behind his back.

"Um...Aerrow? We've got a problem on the bridge." Aerrow looked up once he heard Stork's worried voice coming over the speakers.

"I"m on my way," he called. Walking to the bridge, he saw Stork with the periscope at his eyes. Closing up the periscope, he turned to Aerrow with his eyebrows pushed together.

"It's the Dark Ace," he said, "and he's not alone." Aerrow ran to the window and saw the Dark Ace watching the _Condor_ with his Switchblade Elite next to him and a smug smile on his face. At his sides, Aerrow's hands clenched into fists.

"Aw, man," Finn groaned, as soon as he noticed the many Nightcrawlers swarming behind the Dark Ace. Aerrow bit his lip, trying to figure out a way to tackle this.

"They were clearly expecting this, so we're going to give them what they want...for the most part," he instructed. Pointing at Finn, Junko and Stork, he continued, "You distract him. Radarr and I will go in and get Piper."

"Dude, that's the Dark Ace," Finn hissed. "You're the only one that's defeated him! You think I can?"

"And he's flanked by around a hundred Nightcrawlers," Stork added abysmally. "We're doomed."

"I don't need you to defeat him," Aerrow told Finn and Stork patiently, "but just to stall him." Finn and Stork opened their mouths to complain in unplanned synchronization, but they were interrupted by Junko.

"Guys, think of Piper," he pleaded. Finn's shoulders sagged and Stork closed his mouth slowly, dropping the finger he had raised. Aerrow let some sadness to enter his face, silently thanking Junko for his input. Finn's eyes flicked up, back at the ground, then finally up at Aerrow with a seemingly sheepish half-smile.

"Sorry, Aerrow," he mumbled. He then adopted a braver face and saluted. "What will we do, O leader?"

"Take out as many of them as you can from here," Aerrow instructed, "then get on your Skimmers and take out more from there. Radarr and I will try to sneak around Cyclonia, but if we get caught, we'll just have to fight our way through."

"As usual," Finn commented with a small smile. Aerrow grinned back skeptically.

"Well, either way, we'll come back with Piper," he quipped, looking back out the window at the incoming swarm of Cyclonian soldiers.

"Good luck!" Junko exclaimed. He pounded his knuckles together, and his fists were surrounded by green. "We'll take care of the jerks here." Aerrow smiled confidently at his squadron, then ran down to the hangar bay. Finn followed him down, standing between their Skimmers. As Aerrow got himself settled and revved his engine, Finn offered a fist to pound.

"You'll do it, dude," he assured Aerrow, who pounded the fist offered. "I know you wouldn't leave Piper in the cold. That's not you, and that's not who she is to you." Aerrow smiled gently.

"Thanks, Finn," he said, and Finn shot off his famous trigger fingers.

"Chicka-cha," he proclaimed, as Aerrow zoomed off the _Condor's _landing strip with another revving of his engine. "The power of Finn goes with you!" he called. "Bring her back safe, man."

* * *

In her crystal prison, Piper slouched against the back side of the cage, close to despair. She wanted only to see Aerrow again, but she didn't want him to put himself in any kind of danger. Her hands were still secured by the beam of energy, and no matter how hard she fought, she couldn't free herself. At this point, she figured that there wasn't much else that could be done, and that it was time to retire for the day. Piper wanted to use the crystal around her neck for the first time in a long time. She reached for it, only to find it gone. Her eyes widened in panic as she searched around her prison. Oh, who was she kidding? It could be anywhere across the Atmos by now!

Piper sighed heavily, hope beginning to trail away. Wait, she couldn't let this happen. Aerrow meant too much to her to let her give up on him. She hoped he had heard her struggle before that Nightcrawler had knocked her out. There were a lot of blast marks left around the room, especially on the hinges. She had hoped that blowing off the hinges would make the door fall in, but even if it hadn't worked, she knew that they wouldn't just leave her here, alone. They would realize where she was, then come in and save the day.

...She just wished they would get here soon.

She felt the area where her necklace used to be, wishing she at least had that to comfort her.

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait! I've had soooooo much homework lately and no free time! Well, here's another short chapter...big battle coming up!**

**Please review! :)**


	7. Chapter 6: A Fight and the Finnito

**Chapter 6**

The Dark Ace smirked as Aerrow flew off of the _Condor_. Right into his hands. To his surprise, the Sky Knight spun off to the side, navigating his Skimmer through the horde of Nightcrawlers without touching a single one. Pulling his Switchblade Elite around, the Dark Ace prepared for pursuit. A blue blast of light narrowly missed him, and he whipped around, trying to find the source. That blue-eyed, squirrely kid was sitting a blaster on the side of the ship, and he sat up from leaning into the crosshairs, a smile flickering across his face.

"If you wanna go after Aerrow, then your ride's gonna get trashed," he shouted. "Next time, I won't miss."

The Dark Ace scoffed. "You children expect to defeat me?" Finn grinned back in response.

"Aerrow has!"

That was it. This kid was going to get it.

The Dark Ace swung his Switchblade back around and leaned forward, zooming towards the _Condor_.

Landing his Skimmer in a concealed spot, Aerrow quietly stole through Cyclonia. Talons were running frantically about, unsure where to go to keep the Storm Hawks out and the Master happy. In the pandemonium, Aerrow snuck through the hall. Suddenly, he realized that he had no idea where Piper was being held, or if she was even here. After a moment of thought, he realized that Master Cyclonis probably spent most of her time in that crystal creation chamber that she had kept the Aurora Stone in that other time, so Piper was probably there.

...But where was that?

* * *

The Dark Ace's Switchblade Elite zoomed past Finn, who swiveled around, quickly firing off shots from the energy blaster on the _Condor_.

"Ugh!" he cried. "He's too fast!" He looked over his shoulder at Junko, shouting, "Junko, buddy, he's coming your way!"

"Gotcha!" Junko exclaimed, turning on his energy blaster toward the rear of the _Condor_. An idea suddenly came to him, and he leapt off the seat, pounding his fists together and activating his knuckle busters. As the Dark Ace came into sight, Junko spread his feet apart, readying his stance. Once the Dark Ace came closer, Junko turned away, then unwound with the strength of ten Wallops, slamming his fists into the front of the Switchblade.

The Dark Ace let out an annoyed, "Tch!" as his ride crumpled in and vomited black clouds of smoke, turning down for a nose dive into the Wastelands. The Dark Ace leapt up, the dark wings bursting out from his back.

"Way to go, Junko!" Finn was still shoooting at any and all Nightcrawlers that were approaching his side of the ship. "You alright, dude?" Junko shook his hand out gingerly, the one that was throbbing painfully from its contact with the Switchblade.

"Yeah," he told Finn. "It's just like he hit a wall; no damage inflicted on the wall." Finn turned around in concern, putting his hands on the back of his seat.

"That depends how strong the wall is!" he replied. A burst of light suddenly blasted Junko aside. Behind him, the Dark Ace was standing with his energy blade out and a malicious smile across his face. "Junko!" Finn exclaimed, and Junko held up a shaky thumbs-up. Finn grinned, relieved, then he pulled out his crossbow and pointed it at the Dark Ace.

"Apparently the wall is not very strong," the Dark Ace commented, his red eyes glinting. Finn narrowed his eyes, then fired three shots at his enemy in quick succession. The Dark Ace deftly parried all of them away, ten blasted a red charge back at Finn. Finn did a neat somersault under the blast, then stood up and turned back to face the Dark Ace with a cocky smile, only to see a punch fying towards his face.

"Um, guys?" Stork's voice echoed over the intercom as Finn ducked the punch. "There's kind of a lot of Nightcrawlers out there...I could use some help!"

"We all could!" Finn shouted back, spinning around with a sweep that the Dark Ace easily leapt over. He looked up to the speaker. "Deal with it -" He was interrupted when the Dark Ace grabbed his shirt and threw him into the wall across the way. "Yourself," Finn finished weakly, the breath knocked out of him. He slid to the ground, and the Dark Ace turned triumphantly and began making his way to the bridge.

"Not so fast!" The Dark Ace turned to see Junko struggling to his feet.

"You again?" the Dark Ace grumbled. "How many times do I have to take out you pawns before you realize I've reached checkmate?"

"You'll need to take out the king first!"

The Dark Ace's eyes followed the crossbow as it rose in the air, spinning end-over-end. He heard a, "Chicka -" and by the time he noticed Finn leap out and roll, it was too late. Finn caught the crossbow, then whipped it around to point it at the Dark Ace. "Cha," he finished, firing the crossbow. The arrow hit the Dark Ace, blasting him off the _Condor_. "And it's all over," Finn said with a grin, blowing off his crossbow. They heard the Dark Ace roar in anger as the _Condor_ left him behind, zooming on through the Nightcrawlers. Finn and Junko hopped back on their energy blasters and began firing at the figures in black that were shooting small, red energy bursts at the _Condor_.

"That was a nice move, Finn!" Junko exclaimed, shooting a Nightcrawler out of the sky.

"Of course it was!" Finn shouted back. "It was the Finnito!" Junko laughed, and they both kept shooting.

* * *

Aerrow dashed through the halls of Cyclonia, looking left and right. Radarr chirped on his shoulder, and Aerrow looked up to see a guard walking towards him. Quickly diving to the side, Aerrow held his breath until the guard was past. He peeked around the doorway, then sat back down, releasing the pent-up air. He looked inside the room he was in, then froze.

He was in Master Cyclonis's crystal-making room.

Aerrow's face split into a grin. Frantically looking around the room, he crawled over and stood behind a post. He indicated to Radarr to be silent, then quietly snuck over to Master Cyclonis's contraptions. Pausing with his fingers hovering over the buttons on the machine, Aerrow fought the desire to just mess around with the machine, to see what it could do.

"Aerrow!"

Aerrow whipped around, the grin returning to his face. "Piper!" He ran to her purpley crystal prison. Putting his hands on it anxiously, he hoped to find a weakness.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Piper exclaimed, putting her hands on the crystal beneath his. Aerrow just wanted to break through the crystal and wrap his arms around Piper and never let go. He never wanted to let her out of his sight again, and just keep her protected forever. He put his forehead to the crystal, closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"Aerrow, it's not your fault!" Piper told him softly. She, too, wanted to embrace Aerrow and hold him close, bury her face in his chest and never let go. He was _her_ Sky Knight, and she wanted to make sure he never forgot that.

"But it just feels like it is," he breathed. Piper's hand tightened into a fist and she gently pounded it against the crystal.

"Can we talk about this later?" she asked. "I can't break out of here on my own."

"Right!" Aerrow grabbed his energy blades from his back, and fastened their ends together. He leapt on top of the mass of crystal and hammered down with all his strength. The crystal nearly exploded, sending Aerrow flying into the nearest wall. Piper looked up from covering her head with her arms once the force was gone.

"Aerrow?" she called cautiously. He coughed, the crystal dust irritating his lungs. Sitting up, he waved his hand in front of his face to clear the air.

"I'm here," he replied. She stood up and walked to his side, where he was climbing to his feet as she approached. Once on his feet, he instantly wrapped his arms around her. She nestled her face in his chest, unable to hug him back but feeling her heart pound. His hands clenched as he tightened his arms around her, not wanting to let go.

"What a touching moment," growled a gentle voice from behind them. "The Sky Knight rescues his damsel in distress from certain doom..." Cyclonis's eyes narrowed in her dislike for the two of them. "I hate cliches." She whipped out her staff and blasted it at the pair. Aerrow threw his arms around Piper again and dove to the side, sliding on the ground while keeping her pinned to his chest.

"Aerrow," Piper whispered. "You see that crate over there?" Aerrow's eyes looked into hers, and she wasn't sure if her heart was pounding from their proximity or from the adrenaline rush of battle.

"I saw it," Aerrow murmured.

"It's full of blocking crystals, and I need to get to it to free my hands," Piper explained quietly. "Think you can distract the witch?"

"Of course," Aerrow replied, and he released her and stood up, striding quickly in front of Cyclonis, pulling out his energy blades along the way.

"What's your plan for the Atmos this time?" he asked loudly, drawing her attention onto him. "Use Piper's knowledge to create a terra-destroying crystal?"

"Nice try, but I wouldn't need her knowledge," Cyclonis retorted suavely, hooking a crystal onto her staff. "This time, it was just based on destroying the Storm Hawks...from the inside out." She roared as she quickly blasted several energy bursts in quick succession at him. Aerrow deftly leapt over the bursts, spinning in mid-air. Once he landed, he flew forward, swinging hsis energy blades, which Cyclonis easily blocked with her staff.

"And how did you plan on doing that?" Aerrow asked, pushing his energy blades against her staff, trying to force his way through.

"Simple," Cyclonis answered, then she spun, taking Aerrow off balance. Continuing her motion, she released one hand from the staff, maintaining a grip with the other. Aerrow ducked under it, and Cyclonis caught it in her free hand once it reached the other side of the arch. "The loss of your beloved Piper would keep you from focusing on saving your squadron." From where she was on one side of the crystal machine, Piper looked up at Aerrow in concern. His eyes were narrowed at Cyclonis, and his face was red, although she couldn't tell if that was from embarrassment that Cyclonis spoke the truth, or from the heat of battle.

"It wouldn't work," he declared. He drew himself up and pointed an energy blade at Cyclonis. "Piper means a lot to me, but so does the rest of my team. I wouldn't let them down just because..." He trailed off, biting his tongue.

"Just because what?" Cyclonis teased, trying to draw out a result. "Because you love her?" Piper turned sharply from the box of crystals. What was he going to say? He couldn't be in love with her...they were such good friends. But then again, she had just realized how much he meant to her...Aerrow's eyes narrowed as he glared at Cyclonis.

"Yes."

Piper's hands fumbled the transparent glass of the crystal in her hand. She didn't know what to think. Tears began forming behind her eyes...tears of joy.

"Now this is getting a little too personal," Aerrow commented, but before he could move, Cyclonis extended her arm, pointing her staff to the side...at Piper.

"Not yet, Sky Knight," she told him. Aerrow's eyes widened as they flicked back and forth between Cyclonis and Piper. "You've just revealed your biggest weakness. Do you expect me to just sit on that patiently?" Cyclonis began to laugh maliciously, as Aerrow comprehended what she said. He looked back at Piper, eyes wide. "Of course I won't," Cyclonis finished, the humor erased from her eyes. Piper looked up at her, just in time for Cyclonis's eyes to narrow at her. Aerrow looked up desperately from the floor.

"PIPER!"

A blast erupted from the end of Cyclonis's staff, and Piper flinched, closing her eyes. When no pain came, Piper opened her eyes hesitantly. At her feet, Aerrow's frame was shaking from the charge that Cyclonis's staff had sent coursing through his body. He had used himself as a shield to protect her...

"Aerrow," she murmured, the tears in her eyes falling. She went to her knees as his qualms settled, and she brushed his hair back from his face tenderly. She gently squeezed the crystal in her hand, causing the energy that kept her hands together to dissipate. Pulling out and extending her energy staff, she took a fighting stance, facing Cyclonis.

"Protecting your boyfriend?" Cyclonis asked cynically, assuming a similar stance. Piper's eyes narrowed and her lips tightened as her fists clenched on the staff, determination causing her eyes to dry.

"Something like that," she hissed, then let loose a cry as she leapt in the air, swinging her staff down toward Cyclonis's head.

* * *

**Expanding a bit on the bromance that Finn and Junko have...it's so funny. Also mentioning the Finnito and the fact that Aerrow's energy blades can fasten together, because that's mentioned once and twice in the series respectively. **

**At the end, I was trying to stick to the true Storm Hawks spirit and show ABSOLUTELY NO BLOOD because they don't...in the whole series...lol lol lol.**

**Like I said before, I'm trying to stick to the true Storm Hawks style as much as possible, so try to envision this as an actual episode! :D yup yup.**

**As always, please review! :D**


	8. Chapter 7: Light and a Little Love

**Chapter 7**

Aerrow's eyes opened blearily, and he felt pain all around him. Every inch of his body ached, the smallest movement sending shooting pains through each and every bone. Trying to move as little as possible, he looked down, over his cheekbones, to faintly see two figures fighting viciously, hand-to-hand.

"Pi...per..." he mumbled, recognizing the figures. Piper, clearly the one in blue and yellow was suddenly knocked backwards off her feet. Sliding on her back, Piper came to a stop at eye level with Aerrow. Noticing that he was awake, she flashed him a wan smile, but lost it when she was hit with an energy blast that racked her frame with purple bolts of electricity. When the bolts dissipated, Piper released the breath she had unconsciously held, and panted as her eyes darted around, searching for anything to help her in her battle.

"Given up, Piper?" Cyclonis asked mockingly, approaching her. Piper's eyes found and locked on to something above Aerrow's head. She drew herself up into a crouch, a smile forming across her face.

"Not quite," she told Cyclonis, then leapt backwards, flying through the air to whatever she had been looking at. "Aerrow!" she shouted. "Shut your eyes!" Aerrow did so with relief, and he heard something smash where Piper stood. A flash instantly illuminated the room, making Aerrow grateful she had warned him beforehand. He heard the clink of two crystals once the brilliance beyond his eyelids had faded, and he felt his body rising off the ground. He opened his eyes to see a blue light surrounding him, and noticed Cyclonis off to the side. She was scrubbing her eyes, trying to get them used to the darkness again. Letting out a roar of frustration, she was unable to see Piper bringing Aerrow out of the room with the help of crystals in her hand.

"Running away, Piper?" Cyclonis hissed, trying to watch Piper leave, but only seeing spots.

"I'm not running," Piper growled. "I'm protecting my own." With that, she left the room, leaving Cyclonis to shriek in irritation at her temporary blindness. Once they were outside the room, Piper released Aerrow from the hold that her crystals had on him. She put his arm around her, allowing him to lean heavily on her. Every move he made caused him to wince in pain. Piper chuckled. "And here I thought I was the one who needed saving." Aerrow smiled back weakly.

"I'm just sore," he told her. "I'll be better soon." He paused, looking at the ground. "And I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Piper murmured quickly. She stopped walking for a second, looking at him appreciatively. Leaning in, she gently kissed his cheek. "Thank you." His heart pounded as he looked up into her hazel eyes, longing to just lean in and kiss her. It was as if his muscles no longer wanted to respond to his mind, as no matter how loudly he shouted to move in his mind, he couldn't twitch a finger. Aerrow was quickly distracted, though, when he noticed the fuzzy, blue face on Piper's shoulder.

"Radarr!" he exclaimed. "I'd almost forgotten about you!" Radarr crossed his arms in fake annoyance, but once he looked back Aerrow, he quickly ran down his arm to sit on his shoulder. Aerrow winced. "Ow, ow, ow," he mumbled, then looked at Radarr apologetically. "Not today, buddy." Radarr chirped and nodded,then went back to Piper's shoulder. Piper's eyebrows pushed together as she resumed walking.

"I hope the boys are doing okay," she commented, and Aerrow gave her a reassuring grin.

"Come on, you know the guys," he said. "I bet they're more than okay."

* * *

"We are so much less than okay!" Stork screamed to himself, as he spun the _Condor_ sideways, slamming it into some Nightcrawlers. He reached up and dragged down the speaker tube. "Any sign of Aerrow yet?" he asked Junko and Finn desperately, who were now outside the ship on their Skimmers. Firing away crazily at the incoming Nightcrawlers, Finn glanced toward the entrance of Cyclonia.

"I don't see him!" he shouted back.

"Gee, I hope they're okay," Junko said. Behind him, a Nightcrawler that had been blasted by Finn smashed into his back, and then fell away to the Wastelands. Junko glanced casually over his shoulder, and once he saw the falling Nightcrawler, he chuckled sheepishly and called, "Oops! Sorry!" Finn half-smiled, then turned to face more Nightcrawlers.

"Why are there so many?" Finn asked angrily, firing rapidly at every Nightcrawler around him. A blue blast of light flew by his face suddenly, missing him by mere inches. "Hey! Junko!" he exclaimed indignantly. "Watch where you're shooting!"

"Finn, I'm not shooting anywhere near you," Junko replied, and when Finn looked around, he found this to be true. Junko was a ways away from him, and he was shooting in a completely different direction.

"Then...who's shooting towards -" Finn began, turning slowly to where the burst had come from. He stopped speaking when he saw a Skimmer flying his way, shooting off sporadic bursts to get nearby Nightcrawlers out of its way.

"Aerrow!" Junko exclaimed happily. In the _Condor_, Stork noticed something strange, and pulled down the periscope to investigate.

"It's his Skimmer, alright," Stork said slowly. "But -"

"Why is Piper flying?" Finn interrupted, his brow furrowing in confusion. He pushed his Skimmer forward and flew alongside Piper. "What's going on, dude?" he called to Aerrow.

"Cyclonis," Aerrow shouted back, with a small wince.

"We'll talk about it later," Piper added. "For now, just cover us!" She revved the engine on the Skimmer and sped away.

"Great," Finn said. He glanced around at the Nightcrawlers. "How am I supposed to do that?" After another pause, he gritted his teeth, closed one eyes, and began blasting.

Piper pulled the toggle on Aerrow's Skimmer just in time to land it in the hangar bay, the brakes screeching as she turned it to the side. She turned to Aerrow in concern.

"Can you stand?" she asked, her eyebrows pushing together. Aerrow slid off the Skimmer and stood feebly for a second, then began to fall. Piper gasped and ran forward, catching him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he told her, rising back up gingerly. She carefully released him, and although he swayed momentarily, he eventually balanced out, and limped steadily toward the hatch that led up to the bridge.

"I'll go up to help Stork," Piper said, proceeding him up the hatch and helping him up. Once they were on the floor above, Piper helped Aerrow steady himself, then asked, "You okay to go to your room?" Aerrow thought for a second.

"If I say no, will you come with me?" he questioned hopefully. She smiled gently, then laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Get some rest," she murmured kindly, then turned to go.

"Wait."

She turned back, and Aerrow stepped forward quickly and put his hands on either side of her face and pressed his lips to hers. Piper's head spun as her breath caught in her throat. The kiss was light and gentle, and they soon broke apart.

"Thank you," Aerrow breathed.

"I - I - I need to help Stork find a way out," Piper stammered, her face steadily turning redder and redder. Aerrow nodded slowly, and Piper backed up, eventually turning around and walking through the doorway to the bridge. She glanced over her shoulder one last time, before the door slid shut.

Aerrow gazed at the closed door for a period of time, then what he had just done finally hit him. He had just kissed her...kissed Piper! She was his best friend! True, he had fallen madly in love with her, but he had no idea if she felt the same way. How could he just force himself upon her like that? How could he ever do that to Piper? He turned around and began limping back to his room.

On the bridge, Piper strode slowly to Stork. Her heart was still pounding as she remained in disbelief as to what had just happened. She had loved every second of it, true, but that didn't mean it wasn't a surprise.

"Stork, get us out of here," she said shakily, then cleared her throat and pulled down the speaker tube. "Finn! Junko! Come back. We're getting outta here."

"Finally!" Finn exclaimed, happily pulling his Skimmer around with Junko, and flying back to the hangar bay.

"Shut the door quickly," Piper instructed, and Stork pulled a lever, causing the hangar bay door to slide shut once the boys were safely inside. "Now dive below the cloud cover, and we're home free!"

"How?" Stork asked desperately. "It's pitch black down there!"

"So we'll catch them by surprise!" Piper grabbed her staff and ran to her room. She snatched up her Solaris Crystal and clipped it in the end of her staff, dashing back to the bridge. Standing by the energy cannon, she turned back to Stork. "Dive now!" she ordered. Mumbling to himself about certain doom, he complied with order, sending the _Condor _into the darkness of the cloud cover below. Piper sat by the energy cannon, going out of the _Condor_ on it. She looked back, seeing the swarm of hooded figures following them.

"They still following us?" Stork questioned anxiously, gripping the ship's controls tightly.

"Yes," Piper replied. "Slow down a bit, Stork, or this isn't going to work." Stork's eye began to twitch as he continued to stare out the windshield.

"Something that gets Nightcrawlers _closer_ to us is something I do not want to do," he grumbled, reluctantly squeezing the brake of the _Condor_. The ship slowed down, and Piper noticed with a smile that the Nightcrawlers appeared to approaching more rapidly than before.

"Shield your eyes!" she shouted. Stork slammed on the brakes and shut his eyes. The Solaris Crystal in Piper's staff glowed a bright yellow, then flashed out a huge burst of light. The Nightcrawlers screeched and halted where they were, throwing their arms up to defend themselves, but it was useless. Their armor gone, they had no choice but to turn back. The Storm Hawks had won again...this time.

Piper noticed the light dissipate from under closed eyelids. She hesitantly opened her eyes and saw the Nightcrawlers fleeing quickly above the cloud layer.

"Yes!" she exclaimed happily, punching the air. "Now gun it, Stork, and let's get out of here" Stork grinned and revved the _Condor'_s engine, blasting it forward and away out of the clouds.

* * *

**I felt like I wasn't giving Stork his time to shine :)**

**Well, Aerrow and Piper finally kissed! What shall be done?**

**Also, I apologize for any and all spelling/grammar mistakes...google docs likes to be weird on the computers at my school. :P And I secondly apologize for any prolonged delay on publishing chapters; the whole story's written, I swear, and I am doing my best to type it all up in the time given to me that is not filled with play rehearsal or homework. The computers at school also have a weird , where I can upload my stories, but not publish them.**

**Once again, and as always, please review!**


	9. Chapter 8: A Reunion and a Relationship

**Chapter 8**

Aerrow was asleep on his bed when Finn and Junko walked in.

"Hey, dude!" Finn exclaimed, holding up his hand for a high five. Aerrow pried his eyelids open and sat up wearily, not returning the high five. "Nice job on bringing Piper back," Finn added, sitting next to Aerrow after a small grimace of resentment. At the mention of her name, Aerrow suddenly remembered what had happened on the bridge. His eyes widened and his eyebrows pushed together as he fell to the side, his head landing neatly on the pillow at the head of his bed. Finn raised an eyebrow and turned to Junko, who just shrugged in confusion. "What's up?" Finn asked in concern. The only response Aerrow gave was a low, pathetic moan.

"I think something's wrong," Junko whispered loudly. Finn rolled his eyes.

"Really?" he replied quietly, and Junko nodded quickly.

"Can you guys just leave me alone for a bit?" Aerrow asked into his pillow, not even looking up.

"Alright," Finn mumbled, getting up. He walked out, followed by Junko. Once in the hallway, Finn paused, crossing his arms. "Hey, buddy, I left something in the hangar bay. Wait for me on the bridge." Junko nodded with a smile, and walked back down the hallway. Finn whistled to himself meekly as he looked around, then ducked back into Aerrow's room. The door slid shut behind him, and Aerrow looked up from putting his head in his hand.

"Not now, Finn," Aerrow grumbled, putting his hand back in his lap and leaning his elbows on his thighs.

"Dude, what is up with you right now?" Finn asked, beginning to lose what little patience he had.

"Well, I'm still in kind of a lot of pain from Cyclonis, we have to get to Terra Rex in a week for a ball that I really don't want to attend, and we still need to return to Atmosia to pick up some clothes," Aerrow explained, pulling himself back on his bed so that he could lean his back against the wall.

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter," Finn commented, and Aerrow raised an eyebrow. _Doesn't matter...?_ Finn chuckled. "Man, do you know yourself? You never let that bother you, so why would you complain about it now?" Aerrow winced, bothered that Finn had seen through his disguise so easily. Piper was on his mind again, and he was still perturbed by how he had behaved with her. He opened his mouth to say something to Finn, but closed it, realizing that he had no idea what to say. Finn's brow furrowed in his impatience and he asked Aerrow, "What's going on?"

"I kissed Piper," Aerrow told him, just trying to get Finn off his back. He realized what he had just admitted, though, and his eyes widened, then he looked to the side, biting his lower lip.

"No way," Finn replied, a chuckle rattling his words. "Aerrow, you are such a playah!" He started to laugh, but Aerrow just looked up at him desperately.

"Finn, it's not funny!" he said. "Piper's my best friend, and I just threw that on the line! This isn't good!" Finn stopped laughing, beginning to understand how Aerrow felt.

"Calm down, man," Finn requested, holding out his hands to try to settle Aerrow's nerves. Aerrow, who was now pacing back and forth and rubbing his arm in anxiety, glanced at him briefly, then stared back at the ground.

"How can I be calm now?" he questioned. "Finn, I just kissed Piper - just kissed her! Then she turned around and walked out on me!"

"Oh...you...didn't mention that before. That's...not good news." Aerrow froze and looked at Finn in desperation.

"I'm screwed, aren't I? Oh, God, I've messed everything up!" he cried, throwing his arms out. To the side, the two of them suddenly heard the door open.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?"

It was Piper. Finn and Aerrow glanced at each other, eyes wide. Aerrow noticed Finn open his mouth to reply, but quickly interrupted not really thinking about what he was saying. "Not at all!" Piper smiled in relief, her smile seeming almost sad. She stepped inside the room, then made and maintained eye contact with Finn. Once realizing what she was thinking, Aerrow turned to Finn as well. Finn rolled his eyes and stepped forward, leaving the room.

"Okay, okay, I'll go and give you two a moment..._alone_." He turned back on the last word and raised his eyebrows suggestively. The door slid shut, and Piper and Aerrow turned back to each other.

"So..." Aerrow began hesitantlyl, unsure what to say. "Piper, I -"

"Wait," Piper interrupted, laying a finger on his lips to quiet him, and he went silent at once. "Before you embarrass yourself..." She stepped forward and softly pressed her lips to his. He closed his eyes and kissed her back, feeling her arms encircle his neck. Aerrow restrained himself from allowing the kiss to become too hungry, and they soon broke apart.

"Okay...?" he said, confused but joyous.

"I - I'm sorry," Piper murmured. "I didn't really mean to sneak up on you there." She released hold around his neck and slid down his arms to take both of his hands in hers. "Aerrow, look," she began, letting the words flow from her heart, "I really like you. A lot. But I don't want to mess up what we already have."

"Piper, nothing would come between us," Aerrow replied softly, lifting up her chin with a finger to cause her to look into his emerald eyes. "We know better than that."

"But we can't guarantee anything," Piper argued softly, her eyebrows coming together. "Aerrow, it could spell disaster, or even the end of the Storm Hawks!" Aerrow opened his mouth to reply, then closed it, uncertain what to say. Piper was right. "you know that we wouldn't be the Storm Hawks without either one of us," Piper continued. "And we don't want to catch any of our friends in the middle of one of our battles."

"Right," Aerrow mumbled. He didn't want it to be true, but this was Piper. She was always right. He didn't want there to be a rift between them, but if they got any closer than they already were, he was pretty sure that in time, they might become farther apart than ever before. He had never gotten into an argument with Piper in the past, and he knew that being in a serious relationship might cause them to start. He wanted to hold her tight, to kiss her, to be able to honestly say that he had the best girlfriend on Atmos. But Piper was right. She always was.

Piper smiled gratefully, then laid a hand on his cheek. "Thank you for understanding." She stepped forward again and lightly kissed his cheek. Aerrow didn't move, and just closed his eyes peacefully, loving the feel of her lips on his skin. "Thank you for saving me," she breathed in his ear.

Then, she was gone.

* * *

**DON'T WORRY IT'S NOT OVER YET**

**Chapters 9 and 10 on the way! THEN it will be over. It will all come together :)**

**Hum de dum...I just wanna take this moment to say thanks for all those who are following the story! Every email that I get saying that someone else has reviewed or followed the story seriously makes my day :3 thank you!**

**Please review!  
**


	10. Chapter 9: A Gift and a Game

**Chapter 9**

"I did what I could in the little time I had," Giovanni said apologetically, holding out a bundle of fabric to Piper.

"I'm sure it will be beautiful," Piper replied. "Thank you." She accepted the dress and took it into the changing room. As she closed the door, her eyes briefly met Aerrow's, then flicked to the ground as a red flush spread through her cheeks. The door clicked shut, and Finn turned to Aerrow, who also had a bit of a pink tinge in his cheeks.

"What's going on with you two?" Finn asked quietly. "You've been super quiet...you're not fighting, are you?" Aerrow paused for a second, then realized that Finn was his wing man...he could be told anything.

"We've decided to just stay friends," Aerrow told Finn. "It's safer that way." Finn put a hand on his friend's shoulder, his eyes full of understanding.

"Sorry, man," he mumbled. Aerrow nodded gratefully, then their attention was drawn to the side when they heard a shriek coming from the dressing room. The Stork Hawks dashed over, followed by Giovanni.

"Not again," Aerrow grumbled, knocking on Piper's door. "Everything okay, Piper?"

"More than it, Aerrow!" Piper called back, and Aerrow could hear the smile in her voice. "This dress is amazing!" The rest of the squadron let out a relieved sigh, and Aerrow turned to smile at Giovanni, who beamed.

"Well, come on out and let's see it on!" Finn exclaimed, raising his eyebrows suggestively at Aerrow.

"Hmm...nah," Piper replied. Aerrow raised an eyebrow. He _really_ wanted to see this dress on her.

"Why not?" he questioned. Piper opened the door, holding the dress over her arm.

"Because I want it to be a surprise!" she told him coquettishly. He couldn't help but grin at her joyfulness as she gave the dress back to Giovanni.

"Okay," Aerrow chuckled. Piper looked up at him with a smile, then turned back to Giovanni.

"Thank you so much," she said, as he went to his counter and put the dress on a hanger.

"For the Storm Hawks - anytime," Giovanni said. "Continue to save the Atmos, and the price for these outfits will have been more than paid." He handed over the suits they had left the last time along with the dress, and Aerrow took and distributed them amongst the rest of the squadron.

"Thank you again," Aerrow quipped, and the Storm Hawks left the shop with many more thanks to the tailor. Aerrow fell back as they walked through Terra Atmosia, allowing Junko, Finn, Stork, and Radarr to stride ahead while he lingered back to talk to Piper.

"Hi," she mumbled, with a small smile. She unconsciously reached for her necklace, but found nothing there. She gasped and froze, causing Aerrow to stop and turn in concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I forgot to ask Giovanni if he had seen my necklace!" Piper cried, distressed. In front of her, Stork, Finn, Radarr and Junko turned around, hearing how upset she was.

"Oh!" Aerrow reached behind his head and untied the string around his neck. He held out Piper's necklace to her, and her eyes brightened in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness," she sighed. Aerrow reached around her neck and tied it for her. His proximity caused her breath to catch in her throat and her heart to pound in her ears as her eyes flicked up to his face. His emerald eyes looked up and focused on her hazel ones, and, sensing the rest of the squadron watching, he released her necklace, putting his hands back by his sides. Piper murmured, "Th-Thank you."

"No problem," Aerrow muttered. Stork cleared his throat, rolled his eyes, and continued on his way back to the _Condor_. The other guys followed, and Aerrow, scratching the back of head, indicated to Piper that they should do the same. Piper suddenly flushed red when she realized that it had been Aerrow who had been holding onto her necklace for her.

"D - Did you find out wh - what it is?" Piper stammered, flustered, fingering her necklace unconsciously. Aerrow looked over.

"Huh? Oh!" He shook his head. "No, you hadn't shown me before you...left...so I didn't wanna check it out without your permission." Piper smiled appreciatively, glancing back up at him.

"You're so sweet," she commented, stepping in nudging him with her shoulder. Aerrow grinned, and nudged her back. Piper narrowed her eyes in good humor, nudging him harder, and he retaliated in kind. As she moved in for her hardest nudge yet, he stepped aside, throwing her off balance. While she was still caught by surprise, he stepped around and pulled her up onto his back, carrying her back to the _Condor_.

"Aerrow! Stop! Put me down!" As they rushed past the rest of the guys, Finn grinned hesitantly.

"At least they're back to normal," he remarked.

* * *

"So what's that crystal about?" Aerrow asked, after he had playfully dumped her on her bed and sat next to her.

"Oh..." Piper said, reaching for the necklace. She untied her necklace, holding it in her hand. "Well, I guess you can now..." Squeezing the crystal gently, Piper caused a gentle light to radiate from the crystal's heart.

Aerrow was surprised to see a translucent image to burst from the crystal. He found himself looking into the eyes of his eight-year-old self, bright eyes that sparkled with a love for the world that was still found there today. Next to younger Aerrow was a younger Finn, who was firing off trigger fingers at Aerrow.

"Are you sure that you don't just want her on our team because she's a girl?" little Aerrow was asking. The younger Finn grinned back.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed. "Don't you see potential?"

"Believe it or not," little Aerrow said slowly, "I do. P - Piper...I feel like I can trust you. Wanna be friends?"

"Yeah," the voice of a quiet Piper replied. "Let's be best friends!"

"Awesome!" little Aerrow exclaimed. It seemed as though little Aerrow was hugging Piper, because there was a sudden close-up of his chest. When he backed away, he was holding Piper's hands. "We'll be best friends. Let's trust each other!" The image faded, and normal Aerrow looked at Piper, who was slowly retying the crystal around her neck.

"Why would you be embarrassed about that?" he asked quietly.

"Well, it's just...before, you didn't know how I felt...and..."

"We _are_ best friends, so there's no reason to be embarrassed." Aerrow hesitantly put his hand around Piper, worried that she would try to pull away. She didn't, though, and leaned her head on his shoulder gently. Her eyes were closed, so she couldn't see the red flush spreading through his cheeks as he embraced the warmth of her head on his shoulder. He wanted this, wanted it without hesitancy, but for that, his and Piper's feelings would have to have been made public. That was more than fine with him, but Piper didn't want that.

Why was this so bad?

* * *

**Yeah...sorry if it feels like I'm kind of dragging this out a bit. I had forgotten when I wrote it to include what Piper's crystal was, so this was kind of the best I came up with. I wasn't sure how to phrase it exactly, but I did the best I could. I don't think it turned out too badly after all. The point is that Aerrow is having second thoughts about letting Piper go. The ball is in the next (and final) chapter!**

**Please review!**


	11. Chapter 10: The Ball and a Boyfriend

**Chapter 10**

Light and airy classical music drifted through the halls near the ballroom on Terra Rex. Aerrow looked around, Radarr perched on his shoulder. Harrier approached them, a smile on his face.

"It's nice to see that you have dressed for the occasion," he commented. Aerrow nodded slowly, narrowing his eyes slightly. Harrier put his hands up passively. "No, no, no sarcasm this time." He looked around. "Where is your most..." He paused, trying to find the right words as he surveyed the rest of the squadron. "...civilized member?" Finn glared at Harrier from behind Aerrow's back, then looked over his shoulder and gasped. Moving his mouth frantically open and shut like a dying fish, Finn tapped Aerrow's shoulder, and pointed at the something beyond Harrier. Aerrow glanced around the Rex Guardian, and his eyes widened. "What are you all staring at?" Harrier questioned irritably. "I asked you a question."

"And I'm right here."

Harrier turned and Piper noticed the surprise in his eyes with a degree of satisfaction. She had spent a good long time getting herself ready, so he _should_ be taken aback. Her hair had been smoothed back into curls that fell to her shoulders, and her orange headband separated her bangs from her curls, allowing her bangs to fall by her eyes. Her silky dress remained tight until her waist, at which point it poofed out and touched the floor, swaying as she moved. The transparent covering over the actual fabric was laced with sparkles and various other designs, causing glints of light to seem to radiate off of Piper as she moved under the lights.

"Piper," Aerrow breathed, her name being the only thing he could think of to say. His eyes glowed as he took in her absolute beauty, blown away as her eyes glittered with a smile that was directed at him. He felt his lips twitching into a returning smile as he realized that she personified absolute, magisterial beauty - in person and in spirit. Aerrow wanted nothing more but to wrap his arms around her, kiss her, and never let her go. He bit his lip and looked at the floor, realizing that he wasn't supposed to be thinking that.

"Dude! You look like a - a - a girl!" Finn stammered, sounding like someone had kicked the breath out of him.

"Don't I usually?" Piper asked irritably, glaring at him. Aerrow quickly stepped between the two, his hands out passively.

"I - I think what Finn means to say is that you're -" Aerrow paused, taking in the vision of Piper again, "-beautiful." Piper's eyes softened and she smiled gently back, a pink tinge coloring her cheeks.

"Well, it's nice to see you've arrived," Harrier commented, stepping in and bowing graciously. Piper, with the smile still lingering on her face, curtsied back politely. "May I have the first dance?" Harrier continued, holding out his hand. After a quick glance at Aerrow, Piper took Harrier's hand, and the two whirled off in an elaborate dance that made Aerrow glad he was not asked to dance first. The squadron split into two different groups; Stork, Junko, and Radarr went to eat, and Finn and Aerrow went to find a table.

"What are you doing?" Finn grumbled, as they sought out empty chairs and an empty table.

"What do you mean?" Aerrow questioned, confused. Finn groaned.

"I thought I was the dumb one," he muttered, then returned to normal volume as he added, "Dude! You finally got Piper. And now you're letting her slip away!"

"No, I'm not!" Aerrow argued. "It's not like we're not friends or anything!"

"That's the point, man," Finn retorted. "You're just friends. Aerrow, I can tell you want more than that! How can I see what you miss?" He paused and sighed. "First, you let her talk her out of a relationship. Then, you let some uptight _Rex Guardian_ literally waltz off with her!"

"That was a waltz?" Aerrow asked.

"Don't try to redirect!" Finn exclaimed. "If you want her, go get her! Don't sit around and wait for an impossible 'everybody wins' scenario! Go get your girl!" Aerrow's eyebrows pushed together as he looked up at Finn. This was so weird...how was Finn being continually right this week? Well, it didn't matter. What mattered was Aerrow's love for Piper that was letting slip away. The two of them had the potential to make the best kick-butt couple in the Atmos, so why not embrace that?

Aerrow quickly rose. "Tell the guys I'm going out to get a breath of fresh air," he instructed Finn, who grinned. Aerrow strode quickly to Harrier and Piper, tapping Harrier on the shoulder. "May I intrude?"

The Rex Guardian opened his mouth to reply, but Piper interrupted by saying, "Of course. This song seems to be wrapping up anyway."

Harrier nodded. "I see. Well, have fun." He chuckled snobbishly, clearly believing that Aerrow would not know the complicated dance that he and Piper had been performing. Luckily for Aerrow, though, when he took Piper's hand and put his other hand on her waist, the music slowed, allowing them to just sway in place peacefully like the other pairs around them.

"You're actually dancing," Piper commented, leaning her head against his chest.

"Yup," Aerrow replied, putting his chin on her head. She loved hearing his heart beat as he steadily breathed in and out, and he loved the feel and smell of her hair. "Piper, I've gotta talk to you about something. Wanna go outside?"

"Sure."

They moved across the dance floor, hand in hand, toward the balcony. There was a bench by the railing, and the two of them sat on it, looking at the moon.

"It's beautiful," Piper breathed. Aerrow glanced at her, a smile growing across his face.

"So are you," he murmured, causing her to chuckled at the awful cliche. It was still sweet, though, and that's what she loved about Aerrow...he could make almost anything sound totally sweet and heartfelt.

"So what is this about?" Piper inquired, looking up at Aerrow in curiosity. Aerrow sighed, realizing how much she could always see right through him. As if understanding his thoughts, Piper added, "I mean, you wouldn't bring me out here just to tell me that you thought I looked good."

"Piper, I'm in love with you and I want to be able to call you my girlfriend," Aerrow explained quickly, letting the words fall straight from his heart. "I know we'll always be friends, but I want more than that. I don't want to hide what we have, and I don't care if we argue in the future. That's in the future. The Storm Hawks wouldn't fall apart due to an argument between us. We're too strong for that. Let's live for today. I want to hold you close, to call you mine, and to be able to say honestly that I have the best girlfriend in the Atmos. I -"

Piper suddenly interrupted him by stepping forward and gently pressing her lips to his. She put her arms around his neck as he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in. When they broke apart, Piper stayed on her toes with her arms around his neck, leaning her forehead against his.

"If you wanted that," she murmured, "why not say it to start with?" Aerrow smiled at her, so completely infatuated with her smile that if asked to describe that feeling, he wouldn't be able to find the words.

"I was afraid you wouldn't agree," he mumbled, almost ashamed to think it. Piper lifted his chin gently, and his green eyes looked into her hazel ones gently as her eyebrows pushed together.

"Know now that I will never disagree with you on matters of the heart," she breathed laying a hand on his chest and feeling his heart beat. "You have a very reliable one, and will always be right." Aerrow smiled hesitantly at her, then leaned forward and kissed her again. They broke apart, and heard music wafting to them from the ballroom. Remaining in the same place with their foreheads touching, Piper and Aerrow resumed their swaying, dancing in the moonlight.


End file.
